Dune Books Ranked! | What's The Best Dune Book? 

Dune Messiah is my favorite Dune book because of this quote: "To endure oneself may be the hardest task in the universe. You cannot hire a wise man or any other intellect to solve it for you. There's no writ of inquest or calling of witness to provide answers. No servant or disciple can dress the wound. You dress it yourself or continue bleeding for all to see."

Look at Quinn with his huge smile as he shows off his first editions :D

I've only read the first 3, and for me Messiah might actually be my favorite. When I first read it as a teenager I was blown away by how it yanks the rug out from under the expectations and tropes of the genre.

I like to believe Dune is real, a real and accurate historical masterpiece that was sent back to us through a time loop to educate and warn humanity of our undeniable future!!

Limited edition hardcover of dune? I see you're a man of culture as well.

Wow. I read these books over 17 years ago. I just now realize God Emperor of Dune impacted many people like it impacted me.

This is so interesting! Messiah is actually one of my favorites. I find the tension between Paul's love for Chani and his desperate sadness over the path he must take to be extremely moving, and by the end of it, I was emotionally wrecked. I suppose, in that way, it has some similarities to God Emperor, but for some reason I find it more romantic (although the end of God Emperor is something truly unforgettable).

Even before reading the first book of Dune I had heard about Leto Atreides the II, The god emperor, the great worm. I was so intrigued by his figure that I run through the first three books (enjoying every Page) Just to get to the god emperor. And when i Read it.... Jesus what a novel, what a masterpiece. It was like reading a Shakesperian play, an antropology and filosofical issue, with the scope and influence of an epic poem, all of that set in a extraordinary and complex space opera setting. All of that added to Leto himself, what a fascinating, beatiful and bizzare character. When i finished it, I felt like very well the huge scope and ambition of Herbert's work. Great video, the only thing I disagree its with Dune Messiah which would be my third Favorite. Thanks for reading!

"Moneo, what a rogue; what a charming rogue." - Leto II

Yeah, pretty much. 1 and 2 are interchangeable to me. God Emperor of Dune does one of the ballsiest moves in a series ever. "Dune" is a classic and is probably my #1.

I love it that you picked God Emperor of Dune and was pleasantly surprised! This is my all time fave And have read it multiple times. It’s also my son’s favorite. I love how Leto II is nearly invulnerable and is aware of every scheme against him but chooses how and when his reign will end.

omg I was so excited to realize we have the EXACT same ranking! I've been debating with other people for years about how God Emperor is the best in the series. Everybody argues with me that it's just Leto talking the whole time but it's in this book that you realize just how complex Leto's character is. It's in this book that you truly compehend the immense scale of the Golden Path and how Leto submitted himself and humanity to centuries of suffering to actually save the human race. It's a deep plot never equalled in sci-fi to this day IMO.

My all time favorite series. Don't know that I could rank them, because they all have their own merit. Glad you're back, keep the videos coming.

I'm not sure why God Emperor is my favorite of the series. Maybe it's the sweeping scope. Maybe it's the depth of Herbert's imagination brought to such vivid life. Or maybe it's because Leto II agrees with me that Duncan Idaho is the greatest character in the universe.

nice one! about dune messiah though, I believe it has one of the best scenes I've ever read: quick hint (and spoil!), paul uses prana bindu technics to rebalance, via observing himself remotely via Leto II sight. That finale was awesome!

I discovered tour I first discovered your videos about three months ago. They are terrific, thanks for putting all of the time, effort, and passion for the books into them!

Completely agree with this list.

You know, there’s something wholesome seeing someone smiling showing off a book they like. Wise enough to know the learning never stops, smart enough to enjoy it. My wife’s an English teacher and thats her favorite kind of student. But she only gets a kid or two every year that even cares to read book thoroughly

I was genuinely surprised by the choices for #2 and #1, but I can see why. It's remarkable how Frank Herbert writes stories with characters that are superhuman in many ways, but ultimately relatable and surprisingly convincing. God Emperor stretches that to its very limit to make profound philosophical points and paint an incredible canvas. But, Dune's characters are the most vibrantly, tragically, lovingly human. It's subjective, which kind of story you like best.

Thank you for introducing and helping me understand dune. I'm working my way through the other books.

amen brother. I was so horrified that Good Emperor would be near the bottom of the list but jumped for joy to see you also loved this amazing book. I have read that one book over 10 times now and I still feel I am only scratching the surface, there is just so much to think about in that story. Bravo!

You are a BRAVE man taking on a task like this. I like that you pulled out God Emperor and Chapter House and they had the same covers as mine. I bought those as soon as they went on sale.

I love how cool and positive your channel and community is. Keep up the great work 💕

From what I’ve read of the Dune books so far, I still have less than 200 pages left of God Emperor... and loving it! My personal favorite is still Dune Messiah, then Dune. Children of Dune. God Emperor. I’m hoping these last hundred pages will change my mind and make God Emperor my number one. Also, just want to say, thanks so much for getting me into these books with your videos. Dune has become my favorite series to date.

I want to thank you (though I assume you won't see this, months after the video went live) for being so passionate about these books. I got into them because of your videos.

because of you i started to read dune series .

I was blown away by Dune. The first chapter of Messiah was strong, but by the end I was so bored I had lost the plot entirely. These rankings give me hope. Thanks.

This video has enraptured me, and is my inspiration to start reading the dune series! Thanks Quinn.

I'm glad I watched this. I'm currently reading Messiah for the 1st time, and it's such a step down from Dune I was unsure whether to carry on or not. I think I will now.

The Dune movie song you used is soooooo good it was worth making the old movie just so it could exist.

Fascinating. I was not expecting your #1, as I've known people that ditched the series after that one. It has a different writing style than the others. Greatest channel!

God Emperor is my favorite book of fiction. Not enough stories have a protagonist who chooses to suffer for others.

If there must be a ranking, this is an excellent one. God Emperor is among my favorite books, fiction or non. IMO it’s also the most dependent on its predecessors due to its philosophical, dialogue-heavy nature. But what a treasure once you’ve read the 1st three! Dune Messiah, or something much like it, was actually a part of the original Dune manuscript. The manuscript was later split into two parts, at an editor’s recommendation if I remember right, with the split happening just after a triumphal moment such that the editor probably thought it would lead to greater sales. When I last read Dune I went straight into Messiah as though just starting another chapter. Try it!

Thank you so much for introducing me to these books. 🥰💋

I'm with you 100% on your order! Tough choices, man. I'm in the middle of Heretics right now for probably my 5th reading of the whole series.

Thank you. I feel the same way. You spoke eloquently what I was uncertain how to say. This video has made you in my top ten channels to watch

YES! Love finding this channel! I remember hating God Emperor as a kid only to have it be my absolute favorite as an adult. Clearly the best book. Frankly my rankings are identical. Great content!

THANK YOU! God Emperor is my favorite as well. It’s what really makes this series of books my favorite.

I completely agree with the ranking. God Emperor of Dune is such a masterpiece.

I didn't realize people were requesting this, but I think it's cool to get your perspective. I'd personally love to hear your opinions and rankings on the Brian/Kevin novels too.

You should do videos on the different factions in fantasy stores and their lore and motives. Would be pretty cool and has tons of potential.

Totally agree on picks 1 & 2 ..the others..well like you said a matter of interpretation.. Great video either way!

I am impressed. My list of preference are the same! God Emperor of Dune is so awesome, I hope one day to have a series or maybe 2 films to cover it.

I’ve watched tons of your content, always a pleasure, and for me this short video does not disappoint - I completely agree with your whole list, and *especially* how you feel about God Emperor. I had the same experience.

Just started reading Dune, mostly due to your channel!

Agreed with this list so much I finally remembered to subscribe.

Thank you for sharing your VAST knowledge and insight here. I've watched a few of your Tubes...the first was the "MOVIE" you made for God Emperor. I was wowed, so impressive. I'm so happy to be here, with Dune. I needed it -- I think this is something the world needed..and I mean that, in reference to the new movie, we needed that, as it's creating a new generation of Dune readers. You're going to be VERY BUSY and VERY IN DEMAND :) Here's how quickly I fell down the rabbit hole, and I doubt I'm alone: I knew about the old Dune movie, remembered my dad watching it when I was little, and there was the "gross guy." End of story. Fast forward a few decades to a couple weeks ago, I click on HBO and see Dune all over the channel, remember hearing something about it being re-made, but yes I'll watch it! Why not? I'm a Star Wars and LOTR nerd, enjoy some sci-fi and fantasy film (mainstream movies...but I'll be spreading my wings going forward), and I like looking at people like this ENTIRE CAST...well, but Thufir, you know what I mean, haha. Beautiful people. Long story short, I loved it. I was in awe with what I saw. Watched it again the next day, watched it again the next day with my son. Went to Amazon and eBay, purchased the first three books (NOT the cheapest books out there right now, if you want HB w/ DJ) but this was after I researched what book was what and where to start, and then purchased the two mini-series sets of Dune and Children of Dune, and purchased...yes...the original film. Watched all of them, and even watched BOTH versions of the original: the Director's cut was so much better than the theatrical release. Point is, I watched both sides of the DVD. I also tried the Jarkowsky DVD, but took it out of the player, went back in THE BOX (of pain it deserved) and it's going back to Amazon...didn't strike my fancy...AT ALL. While I started the films, I started the original book -- I read while listening to the Audible book, and have done so for Messiah and Children, too (mid-way through Children) -- because Audible keeps me focused. After watching your Tube on God Emperor, though, the Children of Dune book is dragging!! No, it's fine, but I can't wait to dig in and keep piecing together what Dune really REALLY is: SPOILER THOUGHTS: after the reading I've done and after watching your God Emperor, think: 1) fremen (free men) are the paradigm of FREE MEN because they don't leave a trace of themselves anywhere -- no footsteps, no satellites -- they can't be found or exploited...it's the spice -- the parasite -- that's left them vulnerable and crippled them, in a sense (meanwhile we voluntarily share our family history online, and banking, everything. We invite ourselves to be hunted). 2) Worms and parasites are the bane of existence; they spread, they sicken...but Leto II has become this "parasite" right, to become the worst of the worst to show us how bad it WILL get, he's the prototype and he lives FOREVER, and he does this so we can LEARN how to save ourselves: keep power in the hands of the people, don't rely on technology -- Admiral Akbar would remind us that the technology "It's a Trap!" He's Jesus-like in that he's taking on the sins of the world and will die for them, right, while also showing that the idea of a Messiah -- a savior -- is dangerous because humanity has to save itself. The fremen have bought into the idea of the savior from the Missionaria Protectiva's doings; their religion, I'm thinking, is sustained by the spice, by the parasite, as it's hallucinogenic. A "liberated" fremen, or man, or PERSON -- in the end -- will know he's only judged by an omnipotent God, not one who intervenes and "saves" because such a person isn't real... My ramblings after peeking into God Emperor, I can't wait to actually read it. The politics, philosophy -- and the THEOLOGY -- is exquisite, layers within layers. I don't think watching your God Emperor will spoil my book at all; sometimes we need to prime ourselves before jumping into something heavy, liked "Homeric" heavy, or else we get overwhelmed and put the book away. I'll be sure to follow your Tubes and thank you again for your time. PS, I've got every book on order now. Credit Card, maxed. Merry Christmas to me!

Quinn, love your channel, keep up the great work!!

Awesome. That's my exact ranking as well. I listen to the original Dune books on Audible at least once a year. I'm listening to Dune Messiah right now and can't wait to get to God Emperor, by favorite book of all time. But I love them all. Great channel! Keep it up!

Our rankings are exactly the same for largely the same reasons. Thanks for the hard work you put into these videos, You have nice articulate and insightful analysis. Let's hope the movie works! :)

Been watching these videos for ages - you've finally convinced me to give DUNE a go. lol

I see, that among with others, we got the same ranking! Also, why have I discovered your channel just now?! Subscribed!

I just started Dune. Thanks for all of the videos

Love all your vids man. Just discovered you. Keep up the great material.

Quinn, great job, but I would swap numbers 1 and 2. I have read the original Dune regularly since the summer between my 8th and 9th grades. I spent that summer reading this book three times while listening to Dark Side of the Moon on my headphones. This was 40 years ago. This book captured my imagination and gave me my love of Frank Herbert and his entire library of works. Love your vlogs, buddy, and keep them coming!

That art at 4:51 is easily the best depiction of Leto II I've ever seen. I love how this shows the power he possesses. The anatomy is perfect I think, exactly how I pictured his vestigial human body at the head of the worm. Great stuff!

Welcome back bro!!!!

FINALLY!!! A Dune book ranking... YUS! I fully agree with your ranking. God Emperor is amazing. Keeping my fingers crossed the new Dune movie will be true to form

GEoD! Man just want you to know that it was your breakdown video of GEoD that got me to read the Dune series, and man what a ride! Dune was a great book and the next two weren't bad, I just knew I could not wait to get to the God Emperor and it did not disappoint. So good!

Awesome,as always. Thanks

Great list! Very interesting choices

Dune, children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune! God Emperor is probably my fav too.

only just started reading the first but your videos have made me want to read them all

Wowie, I was surprised by where you put Messiah. I adore that step in the story.

Great job! You're my go to for rich sci-fi. 🍻

I absolutely love your channel and think you are a genius!

Heretics & Chapterhouse have always been my favourites. Im kind of surprised to see God Emporer as many peoples no.1. It certainly stands out in the series for reasons obvious to anyone whose read it. But to me it almost feels like a book that (in the middle of a series) doesn't actually do much to advance the plot of the saga's main narrative. It ends up feeling more like a fan service that aims to provide satisfaction by neatly tieing off the story of Leto III. I think it serves as a coda to the first trilogy rather than an integral part of the saga in my opinion. Also, people who think Dune is a tough adaptation to movie have not read God Emporer :)

This list got me so excited! I have God Emperor up next on my tbr 🤩

Yup, pretty much a spot on ranking. I haven’t ready Brian Herbert’s books so I’m curious to see your take on them.

Love and need your Dune content.

God Emperor is such an amazing.... thing. You can't really call it a novel. I couldn't see it work on screen, but it amazes me to this day. Great channel!

I love your videos, man!

I'm so glad to find out that you ordered them nearly exactly how I would have! The only thing I would have changed is, I think, swapping Dune: Messiah and Children of Dune. But the total certain thing, as you say, for me is God Emporer of Dune being on top.

Just started reading the franchise recently and finished up Dune Messiah yesterday which I really enjoyed. If you have that at 6, I can't wait for what's next!

I just bought Frank Herbert's Dune Saga box set It is super amazing if it wasn't for your channel in your hype for the movie I hype for the movie I wouldn't have bought this box set of three books of Dune thank you so much and I hope your channel get successful👽👾🤖🌌

Amazing. You're ranking matches mine exactly! I loved God emperor Dune. Good video and ranking, but I might be biased hahah!

God Emperor may be the trippyest book I have ever read , also my fav. Love the videos

Nice. Appreciate your list. The depth of philosophy in FH books is not present in BHFA books, but they provide an action-packed background.

I haven't read the books but after listening to you I knew exaclty what your list would be before you even started ranking :D

On my 11th re-read of Dune. This book just makes my whole month joyful. Nice video, you have a great understanding of the books. Love your opinions

You put God Emperor where it belongs. I immediately read it a second time after finishing it.

I quickly ranked them in my head before watching this... no joke, exact same ranking! God Emperor is so good, I feel the same way! Well done!

That quinn positivity is awesome!

I'd love for you to do another ranking videos of the Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson books.

I think my only change would be moving heritics up a spot or 2. Great video.

Great video!

I just finished re-reading God Emp. and am in the middle of re-reading Heretics. The sigh of relief escaped me as I relaxed into a book which has an actual plot. Agreed, Messiah is a 'bridge' to get us to Children of Dune; GEoD's "I have been a tyrant so folks will learn to avoid tyrants" is a ponderous slog-- and I've read Heidegger-- it's my 'bridge' to get to 5 and 6.

Great break down.

I'm with you on God-Emperor for #1. Incredible book. There's never been dialogue this deep.

Chapter House Dune. Love that book... Moving boats rock, my favorite quote.

Thanks Great review

Greats videos. Keep going. Greetings from a DUNE fan in Perú

Love this list and agree completely

Hard choice.... for me it's 1, 3, 5. ETA: Love your content, Man! Keep it up!!!!!

I agree with your choices...although I'm up in the air as to the choices of 1 and 2 lol definitely a hard choice...keep the awesome work..peace

I rank them in exactly the same order. I was watching wondering if you'd put God Emperor first and you did. This makes me really happy for some reason. Honestly, all of the Herbert Dune books are fantastic, but there is something so different about God Emperor. It is really is due to the main character Leo, like you said unique to fiction. I recommend the Dosadi Experiment and Whipping Star by Herbert as well, if you haven't already read them. A lot of the ideas developed in the Dune books you can see germinating in the earlier books.

This video motivated me to read the last three books of the Frank Herbert series. It was the fact that I had only read up to Children of Dune and you ranked God Emperor #1, so I had to pick the next book in the series (after over decade since I read CoD, but Danica (a.k.a. Comic Book Girl 19) and you have refreshed my memory many times with your videos. The surprise and stand out book, was actually Heretics of Dune; I would have put it higher on the list. God Emperor would definitely be a challenge to film and do justice to the source material. I do hope Dune 2020 is a success and we get more Dune in the future. Still haven't decided if I should give Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson books a go. To those reading this comment who have read those books, what do you think?

I’m shook. I completely agree with this ranking!

Thank you, thank you. I was about to take a break after reading Children for the first time. But after this I will go straight to God Emperor. Please finish the Chapterhouse guide. Love your work!

Switch 1 & 2 and I would agree wholeheartedly, thank you for your content